Schedule Thursday night at World Cup of Darts 2025: Ireland, Germany, Netherlands & Belgium in action on opening night

The Eissporthalle in Frankfurt is set for four days of fireworks as the World Cup of Darts gets underway. The action begins on Thursday evening with the opening matches in the group stage of this unique international pairs tournament on the PDC calendar.

Since its format change in 2023, all matches at the World Cup are played in doubles, bringing out different dynamics and surprise results. While the top four seeds — England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland — are already through to the last 16, the remaining 36 nations must battle it out in the group stage. Only the winner from each of the twelve groups of three will progress to the knockout phase.

Here’s a rundown of the key fixtures and storylines heading into Day One:
Follow the World Cup of Darts via our live scores!

Sweden’s duo of Jeffrey de Graaf and Oskar Lukasiak have proven themselves as dangerous dark horses, reaching the quarter-finals in both of their appearances together. Lithuania, meanwhile, field the experienced pairing of Darius Labanauskas and Mindaugas Barauskas for the sixth consecutive year. Despite their continuity, they’ve yet to make it past the second round since 2021.

With Adam Gawlas missing from this year’s Czech squad, Karel Sedlacek is joined by Petr Krivka, who made two appearances on the European Tour this season. They’ll face the returning Taiwanese duo Teng Lieh Pupo and An-Sheng Lu, who shocked Ireland in the group stage last year before falling to Austria in the last 16.

Boris Krcmar and Romeo Grbavac made headlines in 2024 by eliminating Welsh pair Jim Williams and Jonny Clayton. That stunning run ended with a narrow 8–7 quarter-final defeat to Austria. This year, Krcmar is partnered by debutant Pero Ljubic, while Japan is represented by Ryusei Azemoto and Tomoya Goto. Since reaching the semi-finals in 2019, Japan has struggled for consistency, exiting at the group stage in both of the last two editions.

William O’Connor makes his 15th consecutive appearance — one of just three ever-presents in the tournament’s history. Despite a runner-up finish in 2019, Ireland’s record has otherwise been disappointing, failing to reach the quarter-finals in any other year and suffering back-to-back group stage exits with Keane Barry. With Gibraltar and China in their group, O’Connor and Barry are under pressure to deliver. Gibraltar, led by Craig Galliano and Justin Hewitt, are talented but inconsistent, last reaching the second round in 2015.

Matt Campbell and Jim Long lead the Canadian charge. It’s a sixth straight appearance for Campbell and a first since 2019 for Long. Canada has five quarter-final appearances to its name, although none since 2020. Their opening opponents, Tengku Shah and Jenn Ming Tan, narrowly lost 4–3 to Canada in last year’s group stage.

This is a vital clash in a group that also includes Bahrain, making this likely the deciding fixture for progression. Jules van Dongen returns after time away due to dartitis and mental health struggles and will partner Danny Lauby, with both making their fourth World Cup appearances. Hong Kong fields Lee Lok Yin and Man Lok Leung, who have shown potential at World Championship level. Their last-16 run in 2015 remains their high point, but this group could offer a golden chance for another breakthrough.

Poland has quietly built a strong World Cup pedigree in recent years, regularly making the last 16 before running into top seeds. This year’s duo of Krzysztof Ratajski and Radek Szagański look well-placed to continue that trend. A win over Devon Petersen and Cameron Carolissen would set them on the right path, though the South Africans are capable of springing a surprise on their day.

A new era begins for Belgium, as Mike De Decker steps in to replace Kim Huybrechts, ending a 13-year run. He teams up with Dimitri Van den Bergh, who returns for his eighth World Cup, having taken a short competitive break. Belgium have been remarkably consistent — four quarter-finals, seven semis, and a final in 14 appearances. Latvia, featuring Madars Razma and Valters Melderis, are not expected to provide a stern test.

With Michael van Gerwen sitting out for the third time in four years, the Netherlands turn to rising star Gian van Veen, who links up with experienced hand Danny Noppert. After two consecutive exits at the last 16 stage — both to Belgium — this pairing will look to make a deeper run. They begin against last year’s surprise package, Italy’s Michele Turetta and Massimo Dalla Rosa, who stunned Australia en route to the quarter-finals.

Host nation Germany kicks off against Portugal, with Martin Schindler and Ricardo Pietreczko forming a balanced partnership — Schindler providing scoring power, Pietreczko known for his finishing. Portugal’s hopes rest largely on José de Sousa, while his partner Bruno Nascimento is relatively unproven at this level.

Austria have thrived as dark horses in recent years, reaching the final in both 2021 and 2024. The team dynamic shifts slightly this year, with Rusty-Jake Rodriguez replacing his brother Rowby-John alongside Mensur Suljović. Spain, on the other hand, bring in two debutants — Daniel Zapata Castillo and Ricardo Fernandez Carballo — breaking with a tradition of selecting past Tour Card holders like Alcinas, Reyes or Justicia.

The final fixture of the night is a rematch from 2024, when Haupai Puha and Ben Robb comfortably defeated Teemu Harju and Marko Kantele 4–0. While Finland returns with the same lineup, New Zealand brings in Mark Cleaver in place of Robb.

During the World Cup of Darts, all matches are played in pairs. In the group stage, the format is best of 7 legs. The first team to win four legs will emerge victorious.

Once the tournament reaches the knockout stage, the match format changes. In the second round, quarterfinals and semifinals, teams must battle until either team has eight legs on the board. In the finals, the bar is set a little higher still, as there a victory is not in until one team manages to win 10 legs.

A total of as much as £450,000 in prize money will be paid out during the tournament. Teams that get stuck in the group stage will each receive a minimum of £2,000 per player. For the darters of the four highest seeded countries, the guaranteed starting amount is higher: they will receive £9,000 per person regardless of their result.

Starting in the quarter-finals, the big money really starts rolling in. If a team reaches that round, each player earns 10,000 pounds. Semi-finalists receive £15,000 each. The players who narrowly miss out on the title receive £25,000 each. Winners are awarded a handsome 40,000 pounds per player. The prize money won does not count toward the PDC Order of Merit because the World Cup of Darts is not a ranking tournament.